


The Dreamers

by MathClassWarfare, MysteriousBean



Series: We’ve Got Plenty of Time [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Afterlife, Art, Canon Related, Dogs, Dreams, Gen, Headcanon, Noctis Lucis Caelum Lives, Older Noctis Lucis Caelum, Older Noctis Week, POV Noctis Lucis Caelum, Platonic Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Post-Canon, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 15:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20817443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathClassWarfare/pseuds/MathClassWarfare, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriousBean/pseuds/MysteriousBean
Summary: A reunion among the sylleblossoms.





	The Dreamers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MysteriousBean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriousBean/gifts).

> For Older Noctis Week Day 7: Free Day
> 
> I am so hyped to collaborate with [MysteriousBean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriousBean/) on this! Her breathtaking art is [here](https://twitter.com/CarrieVogel5/status/1178350598158082050?s=20), and embedded in the fic, below.
> 
> (This takes place in my post-game headcanon scenario where Noctis comes back from the dead to live as a regular dude. You can read about it in this series, but you can also just read this one on its own.)

A gentle breeze rustles the tall grasses and sylleblossoms in the seemingly endless field where Noctis suddenly finds himself, running after his dog. It’s quiet, aside from their footfalls and the soft sound of the plants brushing against them as they move.

Umbra barks, and another dog answers. Then a familiar, delighted voice calls out, “Who’s there?” 

Noctis rushes ahead into a clearing and immediately embraces his friend.

“Luna,” he breathes. “I’ve missed you.”

“Noctis. I hoped that was you.”

They sit on the ground, spinning flowers between their fingers, while the dogs run in wide loops around them. 

She’s so beautiful, in a sky blue sundress, with her hair swept back in a neat braid. Noctis, on the other hand, is dressed like a scrub in the black hoodie and ink-stained jeans he was wearing before he went to bed. 

Luna tilts her head and asks, “Is this a dream, I wonder?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” Noctis answers with a half-smile.

He looks up and around. The light in this place is strange—it seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It almost reminds him of something, but he can’t quite place it.

“Well, there’s one way to tell.”

Noctis looks back just in time to catch the wicked glint in Luna’s eyes as she bites down on her own hand.

“Hey! Don’t!” he shouts, trying to grab her wrist.

She waves him off, laughing. “I’m fine! I didn’t feel a thing. This _is_ a dream, then.”

Noctis pinches himself and sure enough, he feels nothing. Still, there’s an ache in his chest—an absence—that’s very real.

“Dearest Noctis.” Luna lifts his chin with a finger and gives him a warm smile. “Please don’t be sad.”

He smiles back—a bit unsteady, but genuine.

“I like your beard. It suits you,” she says.

“Thanks, Luna.”

“Did you have it the last time?” She squints at him. “No, I don’t think so. Last time, you were five years old, and we were at Fenestala.”

“We—we were? When?” 

“Last time I dreamt of you, I don’t know.” She laughs. “It was _my_ dream. You wouldn’t remember that.”

“Oh.” He scratches at the back of his neck. “Right . . .”

“You did have a beard the time before that, though. I’m sure of it.” She beams.

Luna lays back on the ground, and Noctis joins her. Seeing this, Umbra and Pryna immediately set upon them, licking their faces. Giggling and squirming, the former Chosen King and Oracle find it impossible to fend off this assault. They offer belly rubs to soothe the dogs, who eventually lie down and make themselves comfortable.

“What’s it like?” Noctis asks, petting Pryna. “How is everyone?”

“It’s just as beautiful and boring as you probably remember.” 

“Sounds nice.” 

Noctis wants to close his eyes but he worries that falling asleep in a dream will make him wake up in real life, so he doesn’t. He sits up and crosses his legs, so Umbra can use him as a pillow. Then he scratches the dog behind an ear. 

“Your mother usually comes by for tea.” Luna studies his face for a moment, then adds, “It’s true what they say. You really do take after her.”

“Yeah?” 

She nods. “Yes, Aulea is absolutely lovely in every way. She and my mother are good friends.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“And she’s an ace at cards—gives Ravus a run for his money.”

Noctis laughs. “Do you even need money in the afterlife?”

“Not really!” She grins. “It’s just for fun.”

“How’s my dad?”

“Better, I think.” She nods thoughtfully. “We’ve been seeing a bit more of him lately.”

Noctis exhales. He doesn’t know whether this can be a dream and also real, but it’s still a relief to hear that his father isn’t isolating himself. 

“Next time you see him, could you tell him that I’m okay?”

“Of course.”

“And please tell him that Ignis and everybody else are doing a great job. He’d be really proud.”

Luna takes his right hand in both of her own and squeezes. “I think you are, too.”

_“Nah.”_ Noctis shakes his head. “I’m just hanging around. Delaying the inevitable.”

“And what do you think we’re doing?” she teases. “It sounds like you are doing an excellent job of living and enjoying the world we all worked so hard to save.”

Noctis starts to choke up, but shakes it off and wraps an arm around his friend. Luna rests her head on his shoulder and sighs.

They sit like that, looking out across the swaying blue and gold meadow, until Noctis wakes. 

Then he’s back in his bed again, next to Prompto. 

He softly kisses one freckled shoulder and sits up, glancing around. It’s never completely dark in their apartment, with the city lights leaking in through the blinds. He catches Umbra staring at him from the chair on the other side of the room—mouth hanging open in a relaxed doggie smile and a knowing look in his eyes. Maybe the former messenger still has some magic left in him after all. 

Noctis yawns and snuggles back into bed. As he drifts off to sleep again, he wonders which card games his mother likes to play.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you beautiful people in this fandom for sharing your creativity and your ideas and your feelings about this story and these characters and life and whatever else! Special thanks to [@moonwaif](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwaif/pseuds/moonwaif) for the editing help on all this Older Noctis Week fic!


End file.
